Dr. Raghu Kolluri: Serena Williams suffers pulmonary embolism

Dr. Raghu Kolluri

Monday

Mar 28, 2011 at 12:01 AMMar 28, 2011 at 1:11 PM

Tennis player Serena Williams had a health scare with a pulmonary embolism as a result of a deep-vein thrombosis and still hopes to return to the court in the future. Here's what Dr. Raghu Kolluri says about her condition and how to treat it.

Tennis player Serena Williams had a health scare with a pulmonary embolism as a result of a deep-vein thrombosis and still hopes to return to the court in the future.

A deep-vein thrombosis can affect anyone regardless of physical fitness level and can lead to a pulmonary embolism. Dr. Raghu Kolluri, with Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants in Springfield, Ill., provides the answers on what is deep-vein thrombosis, its symptoms and how it can be treated.

Q. What is deep-vein thrombosis?

A. It is essentially a blood clot that forms in a one or more deep veins in the body. Most often, it forms in the legs, but it can also form in the upper extremities or pelvis area.

Q. What are the symptoms?

A.The most common symptoms are leg swelling, redness in the leg and tenderness or pain, mostly in the calves. Occasionally, it can be completely asymptomatic and a person will not have symptoms. Although rare, deep-vein thrombosis can lead to phlegmasia. This is basically a gangrene type of situation in which the blood circulates to the foot but cannot go back to the heart. The whole leg can swell up and this can become a limb-threatening situation.

Q. How can deep vein-thrombosis lead to a pulmonary embolism?

A. A blood clot in a deep vein can break off and travel through the bloodstream and go to the lungs and block blood flow to the lung. This can cause damage to your lungs and strain the heart and could cause death.

Q. What are the causes of deep-vein thrombosis?

A. The following can cause deep-vein thrombosis:

1. Long distance airplane or car rides can cause this condition, since you are immobilized for a long period of time. Immobilization from major surgeries, hospitalizations, fractures, trauma, etc. can cause deep-vein thrombosis, as well.

2. Cancers.

3. Inheritable clotting disorders.

Q. How can you be tested for deep-vein thrombosis?

A. A D-dimer test is a blood test used to rule out an active blood clot formation. A test for deep-vein thrombosis can include an ultrasound. CT scans or MRIs can be used to diagnose clots in the pelvis. A pulmonary embolism would be diagnosed with a CT scan.

Q. How can you be treated for deep-vein thrombosis?

A. Treatment would involve blood thinners, such as heparin, which would be given intravenously. Then patients would be started on coumadin, which is an oral medicine. This treatment can last three months or longer based on underlying causes.

Patients would be treated pretty much the same when it involves a pulmonary embolism. If a patient's heart is strained and the patient is unstable, then he would be treated with clot-busting agents.

Q. How can deep-vein thrombosis be prevented?

A. Prevention is very important because pulmonary embolisms kill 300,000 people a year.

People who are at high risk for clotting problems when they are in the hospital should have preventive doses of blood thinners to prevent a deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

People who are traveling by plane for long distances and who are at risk for deep-vein thrombosis should wear loose fitting clothes and stay hydrated. They might do calf-engaging exercises or walk in the aisles when possible. Also, avoid alcoholic beverages.

Raghu Kolluri, M.D., R.V.T., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.P. is the director of the Vascular Medicine and Vascular Laboratory at the Prairie Vascular Institute.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.